Chapter 4

After a long train ride the Hogwarts Express finally slowed to a halt at Hogsmeade Station. The group of friends disembarked from the train, greeted by the familiar sights of the carriages and sounds of the castle. As they entered the Great Hall, Professor Flitwick, their Charms professor and Head of Ravenclaw House, approached them with a warm smile. "Ah, good to see you all back at Hogwarts," he greeted them. "I trust you had an enjoyable summer?"

Eleanor nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely, Professor. Although I must admit, it feels good to be back." Flitwick's eyes twinkled with amusement, a faint chuckle escaping him at Eleanor's eagerness. "And I'm sure you two are ready to take on your new role as Head Students? It’s always a pleasure having students from our house carrying such an honour.” His tone was laced with pride as his gaze shifted between Marcus and Victoria, “I have no doubt you'll excel in your duties."

Marcus beamed at the professor's words. "Thank you, Professor. I'm looking forward to it." Flitwick nodded understandingly. "Change can be both exhilarating and daunting, but I have every confidence that you both will rise to any challenge that comes your way."

Victoria smiled politely at the professor's words. "Thank you, Professor. That means a lot coming from you." Flitwick then offered some words of encouragement before excusing himself to greet other members of his house.

The trio parted with Hannah as they went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table. “I’m hungry,” Marcus laughed. “I hope the sorting ceremony won’t be too long,” Eleanor remarked as she offered him one of the chocolate frogs she had bought on the train. Marcus eagerly accepted the snack from Eleanor with a grin and popped it into his mouth. “Thanks, Ellie,” he mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate.

Eleanor’s expression turned nostalgic as she sighed , “It’s still a bummer that Professor Lupin left, he would have loved these.“ She smiled,her mind drifting back to memories of him teaching.

"He really would have," Marcus agreed between bites, sensing Eleanor's sentimentality. "I miss his lessons on magical creatures. They were always so interesting."

Eleanor nodded, her eyes distant as she recalled Lupin's passion for the subject. "Yes exactly,” she mused, “he had a way of making even the most obscure creatures fascinating. It's no wonder I developed such an interest in magical creatures myself."

Marcus interjected, lowering the volume of his voice. “Does anyone actually know why he quit?” Victoria smirked,responding promptly, “I mean, it should be quite obvious now, Marcus. In all our years, there hasn’t been any professor who stayed for longer than one year.” She started counting on her fingers as she continued, “First Professor Rakepick, then Walker, who was replaced by Green in the middle of the year, followed by Quirrel, Lockhart, and lastly, Lupin.”

“That said, I don’t see the new professor yet”, Victoria stated as she observed the teacher’s table. Her friends looked up, gazing at the table. “That’s unusual,” Eleanor said, raising her eyebrows, before the Sorting Hat started to sing, halting their conversation.

A bit later, Dumbledore's amplified voice echoed through the Great Hall as he began his speech. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts.” As his familiar words droned on, the students' attention began to wane, knowing the routine all too well. Victoria was almost sure she could recite it after having heard it seven times.

“I’m also informing you that this year, there won’t be a quidditch tournament.”

The nonchalant delivery of the news contrasted sharply with its impact. Marcus paled, the announcement hitting him like a Bludger to the chest. “What did he say?” Panic surged through him, and the shock seemed to ripple through the entire Great Hall. Being the Quidditch Captain for Ravenclaw only made the news harder to bear. He couldn't even process the reasoning behind the decision; all he felt was disbelief, his senses slowly becoming blurred.

“Marcus?” Victoria's voice cut through his haze as she probed him. “Are you alright?” Eleanor added, laying her hand on his shoulder, slowly shaking him. It didn’t seem like anything would get Marcus out of his state of unbelief, not even when the giant doors of the great hall loudly swung open.

Whispers started to rise, and as the strange cloaked figure put his walking stick on the ground, a lightning strike disrupted the clear night sky that was illusioned on the ceiling as decoration, silencing all students.

The man lowered the hood of his cloak, shook out his long, tangled, blond hair, and slowly made his way to the Head Table. Victoria took a quick look at the man before focusing back on her friend. “Marcus, how many fingers am I holding up?” she asked, her voice firm but gentle as she tried to break through his gaze. The heavy silence in the hall seemed to weigh down on them, even though they were not necessarily preoccupied with the cause. Seeing no immediate response from Marcus, Victoria reached for her water goblet and dipped her napkin into it, a makeshift method to ground him. Placing the damp cloth against his forehead, she hoped the sensation would jolt him out of his trance and return him to reality.

Eleanor moved closer, lines of concern creasing her brow. "Come on, Marcus," she urged softly, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. "You're okay. Just focus on us."

Victoria and Eleanor exchanged a worried glance as Marcus finally spoke, his voice strained with emotion. "I'm fine," Marcus grunted, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. But his next words betrayed the truth of his feelings: "Of course I'm not fine. They just took away everything.” His words cut through the heavy silence in the hall, revealing the depth of his anguish. "What do I do now?"